Bill-file



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. D. HOUSE.. BILL FILE.

No. 448,237. Patented Mar. 17., 1891.

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W. D. HOUSE. BILL FILE.

No. 448,237. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

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(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 3.'. W. D. HOUSE. BILL PILE.

No. 448,237. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

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VARREN D. HOUSE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN O. PEIINIE, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BILD-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 448,237, dated March 17, 1891.

Application filed June 2, 1888. Serial No. 275,878. (No model.)

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Be it known that I, WARREN D. HOUSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bill-Files; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such'as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bill-files of that kind wherein the papers to be stored or preserved are held automatically between a back board and a movable follower, said follower being releasable at will in order to gain access to the papers when desired.

My invention consists, broadly, in hinging the said follower at its base upon a movable carriage reciprocating in guides upon the box or casing comprising the main body of the bill-file and in interposing between the said carriage and follower a tilting locking device whereby the follower may be caused to tilt forward against the papers and locked in a vertical position, said tilting device being capable of being thrown back, causing the follower to tilt backward' at a convenient angle so that the papers may be readily accessible for inspection.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated three modified forms of my invention, each presenting the same generic characteristics. Figure l represents a longitudinal section and partial elevation of a bill-file constructed in accordance with one modiication of my invention. Fig. 2 represents an end elevation and partial section upon the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section and partial elevation of a second modification of my invention. Fig. 4 represents an end elevation and partial section upon the line fl #I of Fig. Fig. 5 is a detailed view in perspective of the movable carriage, standard, and lockingdevice forminga part of this modification. Fig. G is a longitudinal section and partial elevation of a third modification of my invention; and Fig. 7 is an end elevation and partial section upon the line '7 7 of Fig. ti.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring particularly to the construction shown in Figs. l and 2, l 2 indicate the sides, 3 the front board, and et the base of a filebox of an ordinary construction, the baseboard being provided with a guide-rail 5 within which travels a carriage e, said car riage being provided with slides 7 8 at the front and rear ends thereof, respectively, whereby it is held against tilting in either a forward or rearward direction and having side lugs 9 lO projecting over its upper surface, between which lugs is pivoted the base Il of the bill-file follower, said follower being composed in this instance of a standard l2 integral with the base 1l and a board I3 hinged at 14 to the standard and movable thereon. The front portion I5v of the base 1I constitutes a stop which prevents the follower from tipping forward beyond substantially a vertical position. At the rear end of the base Il there is pivoted upon a pin I6 a cam-lever 1.7 bent at its upper part to forni a finger loop or hook 1S. Vhen the follower and the locking-cam lever I7 are in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. I, the papers represented in said ligure by the numeral 19 are released at their upper ends, the backward tilt of the follower-board being limited by the rear ends of the pivoted base ll striking the carriage, as indicated in said tig ure, and the papers may therefore be readily inspected or any of them removed, as desired. In order to secure them in place after inspection the tilter 1S is raised and its lower cam end 2O striking against the' carriage revolves the base ll forward on its hinges, thereby bringing' the follower into a vertical position. The board 13 of the follower being pivoted at le, will now, when the carriage and its appurtenances are forced inwardly, have an even bearing upon the papers 19 above and below, and the back-pressure upon the following board will be transmitted to the carriage G, whereby the guides 7 S will be cramped within the guide-rail 5, thereby preventing any retrograde movement of the carriage andinsuring the papers against falling out. In order to release the papers for IOO inspection only it is merely necessary to thro w down the tilter 17 into the position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. l, whereupon the follower will fall back upon its hinges for the reason that the brace between the carriage and the base ll is thus removed. If it is desired, to add more papers to those already in the box, it will of course be understood that the carriage 6 will then be moved backwardly a sufficient distance to accommodate the additional papers to be inserted.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 the follower 21 is hinged at 22 to the carriage 23, said carriage being provided with the guide-pin 24 and having at its rear portion a projection 25, to which is hinged the tilter 2:6, as shown, said tilter terminating at its upper end in a finger loop or hook 27 and h'aving a projection 2S, adapted to engage with a projection upon the follower 2l, sai-d projection being :represented in this instance by a ratchet-face 29, formed upon the standard constituting a partof the follower. This standard is widened at its' base 30, as shown, and its front edge 31 constitutes a stop for preventing itfrom tilting forward beyond substantially a vertical position, while at its rear it is provided with stops 32, which limit its backward tilt to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The mode of operation of this modication of my invention will be apparent. Vhen the tilter is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, the carriage and its accessories being pushed inwardly against the papers 19, the backward pressure upon the follower-board will be transmitted through the brace leveror tilter 26 to the carriage and will cramp said carriage within the guiderail 5, thereby holding the papers firmly in position. 26 will be pulled out of engagement with the ratchet-face 29, whereupon the follower will tip backward, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings the follower 33 is hinged to the carriage 34, said carriage being provided with the guide-pins 35 36, which, as in the construction shown in Figs. l and 2, prevent backward or forward tilting of said carriage. The tilter 37, provided with a finger-hook 38 at its upper end, is hinged at its lower end 39 to the carriage and is connected by a link 40 to the follower 33, the arrangement of parts being such that when the tilter is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6 the hingejoint 4:1 shall fall slightly within or on a straight line, joining the hinge-joint 30 and the hinge-'joint 42, so that the back-pressure from the follower 33 maybe transmitted to the hinge 39, thereby cramping the carriage in the guide-rail 5, as before. In this instance the follower is restrained from falling forward beyond a vertical plane, as before, while its backward tilt is limited by the carriage 34.

It will be noted as characteristic of the forms of my invention, illustrated in Figs. l and 2 In releasing the papers the tilter and in Figs. 6 and 7, respectively, that while the follower is capable of a backward tilting movement, when released, within the desired range without causing the carriage to move backwardly so as to entirely loosen the papers at their bases, said follower is at the same time prevented from tilting forward loeyond the vertical position. So far as I am aware I am the first one to devise a construction presenting these advantages and overcoming the annoyance heretofore presented in backward-tilting followers, occasioned by the fact th at when the carriage is moved back in order to insert papers, the follower has a tendency to tilt forward, so as not to strike the papers squarely when moved up against them, the tendency being, therefore, when the follower is thrown forward in this forwardly-inclined position, to lift the papers abovel their proper position in the l'e. This disadvantage I obviate, as before described, by providing the tilting follower with a stop for limiting its forward movement to substantiallyavertical plane and also providing the carriage with a rear stop, so as to prevent the carriage from tilting forward. It is obvious that this rear stop could also be added to the carriage shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It will be remarked that the tilter in each modification of my invention has the common function of throwing the follower forward upon its hinge with respect to the carriagc and to sustain and braceA it in that position from the carriage. I desire, therefore, to be understood as claiming this feature generically, as, so far as I am aware, I am the first to employ a releasable bracing tilter for throwing the follower forward with respect to the carriage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a bill-file, the combination, with a movable carriage, of a follower hinged thereon and a tilter for throwing said follower forward with respect to the carriage, substantially as described.

2. In a bill-file, the combination, with a movable carriage, of a follower hinged thereon and a releasable brace-lever interposed between the carriage and the follower7 substantially as described.

3. In a'bill-file, the combination, with a movable carriage, of a follower hinged thereon,a stop for limiting the forward movement of said follower to substantially a vertical position, a stop for limiting the backward tilt of said follower, and a releasable brace-lever interposed between the carriage and follower, said carriage being also provided with a stop for preventing its forward tilting, substantially as described.

4l. In a bill-file, the combination, with a movable carriage, of a follower hinged thereon and a cam-lever hinged to said follower,

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the carriage, and 2L releasable brace-lever and filter, the latter having pivotal Connection with the carriage and the follower, substantia'lly as described.

In testimony whereof lafllx niysignztture in presence of two witnesses.

WARREN D. HOUSE. Witnesses:

JOHN O. PENNIE, SOHUYLER DURYEE. 

